COLUMBUS, Ohio — A collection of notes, insights, ruminations and did-you-knows gathered throughout the week that was for the Columbus Blue Jackets:
Item No. 1: Offseason doodling
While the rest of the NHL has settled into their offseason cabins, Blue Jackets president and general manager Don Waddell still has two major moves to execute: the hiring of a head coach and a trade to honor the wishes of veteran left-winger Patrik Laine.
Waddell said one week ago that if the coach wasn’t hired by this weekend, it would almost certainly go down early this coming week. So keep those phones charged.
As for Laine … well, that’s in a holding pattern, as the Jackets wait for him to be cleared from the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program so that interested trade partners can speak with Laine before parting with assets to acquire him.
Blue Jackets fans have had two choices over the past couple of weeks … twiddle their thumbs or get out a scratch pad and start doodling lines and pairs with an eye toward the start of the 2024-25 season. Dang, it’s a long summer when you don’t make the playoffs.
With the Blue Jackets roster mostly settled now after the veteran free-agent signings of center Sean Monahan and defenseman Jack Johnson, we stopped twiddling our thumbs and grabbed a reporter’s notebook and a Pilot G-2 to make it all make sense.
Here’s how we see the Blue Jackets’ forward lines, defensive pairs and goaltending aligning this season. This is not based on any conversations with the coaching staff — because there isn’t one, right? — just some fun offseason spitballing.
Enjoy.
Forwards
Line 1
Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan – Kirill Marchenko
Insights: Gaudreau has led the Blue Jackets in points during both of his seasons in Columbus, so he hasn’t been the bust that many suggest. But he hasn’t been “unlocked” yet as the dynamic offensive weapon he was in Calgary. The hope is that Monahan, who played with him extensively with the Flames, can change that. … Marchenko, who remains a restricted free agent, is the obvious choice to play on the right side of this line as the club’s top sniper (especially true with Laine expected to be traded). He has 21- and 23-goal seasons to start his NHL career, and could easily climb into the 30s in this situation. … Monahan is a very good two-way player and very good on draws, which will be important with these two wingers. Possession will be key, as this line doesn’t want to spend much time defending. … Monahan’s five-year term is a little worrisome, given his injury history. But his 83-game, 26-goal season with Montreal and Winnipeg last season was encouraging. As Adam Fantilli matures and as this summer’s No. 4 pick Cayden Lindstrom plays his way to the NHL (in due time), Monahan can easily move down the lineup over the course of his contract,
Line 2
Boone Jenner – Adam Fantilli – Kent Johnson
Insights: The new look here is moving Jenner to the wing after five seasons at center. It has been said that the Blue Jackets are “light” along the wall, but Jenner’s move to wing should help them win more puck battles down low. … Jenner, as one of the top faceoff guys in the NHL, provides strong support for Fantilli in that capacity, taking defensive-zone draws and draws in other scenarios until Fantilli gets up to speed. … Fantilli seems perfectly fitted to a No. 2 center’s role at this stage of his career. He’ll still get plenty of challenging matchups and he’ll have to improve in the defensive zone, but this takes a little of the pressure off and should allow him to thrive early in his career. … This is a big step up for Johnson, but after taking a step backward in his second NHL season — injuries didn’t help — this becomes an important season for him. Fantilli certainly has playmaking aspects in his profile, but Johnson’s ability to see the ice and distribute the puck could really benefit this line. … Yes, we could easily see Johnson and Yegor Chinakhov swapping spots on the right side of this line. … This has all of the elements of a good second line eventually, but an initial concern would be its ability to defend with two very young, inexperienced players. Matchups will be key.
Line 3
Dmitry Voronkov – Cole Sillinger – Yegor Chinakhov
Insights: How much has the NHL changed, that this makes any sense as a third line? Maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it’s just too young and inexperienced to hold its own in the NHL, especially in its own zone. But it’s an intriguing mix, assuming all three players take strides forward from last season. … Sillinger overcame a sophomore slump to play a much better two-way game in his third NHL season. It looked like he had profound skating issues in 2022-23, but a skating coach, a better grasp of the system, and an overall boost of confidence allayed those concerns. He looks up to speed now. … The next great challenge for Sillinger is to boost his faceoff success rate. He’s hovered in the mid-40 percent in each of his first three seasons. This can’t be a full-fledged checking line until that improves. … Voronkov ran out of gas in the second half of last season, a wake-up call for him about what it will take to play at NHL speed. He should arrive at camp thinner and more aerobically fit after learning the difference between the KHL and the NHL. Once he learns to keep up, his size and presence are going to be a problem for opponents. … Chinakhov is beginning to define himself as a quick-burst skater and a goal scorer. He had 16 goals in only 53 games last season, and looks to be a future 30-goal guy — here comes the disclaimer — if he can stay healthy.
Line 4
Justin Danforth – Sean Kuraly – Mathieu Olivier
Insights: The only set piece here is Kuraly. Danforth could play higher in the lineup to provide defensive stability to the second or third lines. Olivier could be in and out of the lineup, depending on the preferences of the coach they hire (does he want a tough guy?), matchups or the continued emergence of young players, like James Malatesta and Gavin Brindley. We took the easy way out and went with the players who have one-way NHL contracts. … This is a big season for Kuraly, who enters the fourth and final year of his contract with Columbus. Is an extension in order, or is he moved at the trade deadline? It’ll be one or the other. … Kuraly anchors this line and plays a big role for the club, both in his faceoff abilities and on the penalty kill. Don’t be surprised if this line turns into the new coach’s checking line, likely with somebody in Olivier’s place. … Danforth is among the NHL’s underappreciated players, but he’s valued in the Blue Jackets’ dressing room. We’ve got him on the fourth line, but he could play one or two lines higher depending on line composition. … Olivier provides muscle, sure, but when he plays regularly you start to see a fourth-line NHLer emerge. There’s value there beyond the fists, but on higher in the lineup than right here.
Defensemen
Pair 1
Zach Werenski – Damon Severson
Insights: Werenski is in the prime of his NHL career and he’s coming off a quietly strong 2023-24 in which he set personal highs for assists (46) and points (57). Incredibly, he had an even rating despite playing against top opponents and eating huge minutes on a club that was extremely “minus”. … Only 12 of Werenski’s points (2-10-12) came on the power play. If this club ever figures that out, he could play his way into Norris Trophy consideration. … If David Jiricek looks NHL-ready, he could easily slot beside Werenski, but Jiricek may be too much of a gambler to make much sense with Werenski at least early in the season. Our guess is that a veteran coach will want a veteran first pair, so Severson gets the nod. … It was not a great first season in Columbus for Severson, who still has seven years remaining on his contract. But the often untold story of free agency is how difficult it is to adapt to a new club, and a new city, not to mention the newly added pressure of trying to justify a massive contract. Severson could be much better in his second season. The Jackets better hope so, anyway.
Pair 2
Ivan Provorov – David Jiricek
Insights: Like Kuraly, Provorov is headed into the final season on his contract, making him an obvious trade chip at the deadline. Until then, we’re guessing he gets a chance to help Jiricek stick in the NHL. … Provorov once again played all 82 games and had the third-highest point total of his career (5-27-32). He is prone to the gonzo giveaway, but is mostly a sound defender and consistent competitor on both ends of the ice. If we’re suggesting Severson could be better in his sophomore season in Columbus, we should make the same allowances for Provorov. … The Blue Jackets have to hope that a new general manager and a new coach can help forge a better relationship with Jiricek, their No. 6 pick in 2022. It was ugly between the two parties at times last season, especially when Jiricek was sent to AHL Cleveland after spending most of the season’s first half in Columbus. … Jiricek can look gangly and awkward with his skating when the play changes direction quickly, especially in the speedy NHL. The hope is that it’ll improve over time as Jiricek grows into his frame and gets more acclimated to the pace.
Pair 3
Denton Mateychuk – Erik Gudbranson
Insights: Yes, we’re putting Mateychuk in the mix, even though Waddell promises to have far more patience with prospects than his predecessor. If the No. 12 pick in 2022 isn’t quite ready yet, there’s no harm in sending him to AHL Cleveland. But he’ll likely create a difficult decision. … Mateychuk plays with a calm that’s rarely seen in young defensemen. There’s no panic in his game, just decisive, smart decisions with the puck. To be fair, we haven’t yet seen him in an NHL regular-season game, so that will be an adjustment. But he’s a very polished player, perhaps further along in his development than Jiricek. … One of the reasons Mateychuk makes sense here is, that we can’t imagine a pairing with Jack Johnson and Gudbranson. Both of those veterans provide valuable services, but they need to play with puck movers and skaters. … If Mateychuk doesn’t make it, it bears watching what the Jackets might do. Gudbranson could move up to play with Provorov on the second pair, with Jiricek pairing with Johnson on the third. We like Gudbranson on the third pair and killing penalties.
Goaltending
No. 1: Elvis Merzlikins
No. 2: Daniil Tarasov
No. 3: Jet Greaves
Insights: Waddell has committed to Merzlikins, whose contract is too rich and lengthy to buy out and whose play has been too substandard to trade. No question that Merzlikins was better last season than in 2022-23, but that’s a low bar, and he needs to be significantly better. It is hoped that better play in front of him — forwards and defensemen — and a new coach/system could put him in a better spot to succeed. … Tarasov’s young career has been beset by injury, but he started to put it together and challenged Merzlikins for playing time in the second half of last season. He has NHL attributes, that’s for certain. Don’t be surprised if there’s a 50-50 split in playing time. … Greaves has a bright future. By this time next season, he’ll have a regular NHL job per his contract, which calls for a one-way NHL deal in 2025-26. … But Greaves may not wait until next season. If history is an indication, Merzlikins and Tarasov have struggled with injuries and illnesses enough to suggest Greaves will see NHL time this season, perhaps substantial time.
Jet Greaves will likely see NHL time this season. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Item No. 2: Vincent lands
Pascal Vincent, fired by the Blue Jackets last month after only one season behind the bench, was hired last week by the Montreal Canadiens to coach their AHL affiliate in Laval, Quebec. Vincent was born and spent his formative years in Laval, a suburb of Montreal.
Nobody expected Vincent to be out of work for long. While the Jackets struggled under his guidance — they were 27-43-12, last in the Eastern Conference — he was put in a tough situation, taking over for the fired Mike Babcock only four days before the start of training camp.
Vincent has declined multiple interview requests from The Athletic since he was let go, but he spoke this week after his hiring in Laval became official. He was asked a couple of questions regarding his time with the Blue Jackets.
“Every year you face adversity,” Vincent said. “It started early in the season. We worked all summer to get the team ready, and then four days before camp, there was a change of coach. It was a very young team. The previous two years were difficult. There’s a lot of challenges. I don’t want to go into those details, but what I can tell you is I learned a lot.
“I learned about a different organization, how they do things, their vision. It’s never fun to lose your general manager during the season, but we know (as hockey coaches) what we signed up for. So, (GM) Jarmo (Kekäläinen) was gone, then we had tons of injuries … It was very challenging for myself and the coaching staff and the players, but we competed hard as a team the whole year in Columbus.”
Item No. 3: Snacks
- League sources told The Athletic that former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft came to Columbus last Tuesday and former Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason followed on Wednesday or Thursday as the search for the Blue Jackets’ next coach continues. With training camp two months away, time is ticking for a coach to move with his family to Columbus, to hire assistant coaches and move them in, to meet with players and to establish a playing system that can be taught to the coaches in advance of camp. Waddell said he didn’t want to get to Aug. 1 without a coach, so this week seems like a safe target.
- Marchenko, a restricted free agent, spoke with Daria Tuboltseva of the Russian outlet Sport24 on Saturday before an exhibition game in Russia between Russian-born NHL players and current KHL players. Marchenko, who turned 24 on Sunday, confirmed what Waddell told The Athletic last week, that Waddell and Marchenko’s agent, Dan Milstein, are discussing both a short-term and long-term contract. Marchenko, who is four seasons away from unrestricted free agency, has an arbitration date set for July 31 if a contract can’t be reached. “Things are progressing slowly,” Marchenko told Tuboltseva. “Maybe next week there will be a more specific offer from the club.”
- Josef Boumedienne, who joined the Blue Jackets as a European scout in 2013 and was most recently an assistant coach this past season, will not be back with the Blue Jackets. Boumedienne, who also served as the Jackets’ director of European scouting (2016-21) and director of pro scouting (2021-23), had an expiring contract that was not renewed, Waddell said.
- Here’s your Sunday Gathering trivia question: When Werenski plays in his 14th game this season, he will have dressed in 500 games with the Blue Jackets, becoming the fourth defenseman and 10th player overall to hit that milestone. How many of the previous nine can you name?
- Merzlikins caught wind that several students in the Chillicothe, Ohio, school district were unable to afford the annual field trip to Washington, D.C., so the Blue Jackets goaltender made an offseason save. The Chillicothe City Schools thanked Merzlikins for sponsoring “several of our 8th-grade students” so they could make the trip. Merzlikins said he has a friend who teaches in the Chillicothe schools.
- Two Blue Jackets’ prospects — forwards Cayden Lindstrom and Luca Pinelli — were among the 42 players invited by Canada’s national program to the summer showcase camp, which is an evaluation ahead of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships to be held in Ottawa. Lindstrom was the No. 4 pick last month at the NHL draft in Las Vegas, while Pinelli was a fourth-round pick (No. 114) in 2023.
- Trivia answer: Boone Jenner has played a franchise-record 715 games, followed by Rick Nash (674), Cam Atkinson (627), Nick Foligno (599), David Savard (597), Fedor Tyutin (553), David Vyborny (543), Jared Boll (518) and Rostislav Klesla (515). Jack Johnson could join the list, too, if he dresses in 55 games this season.
(Top photo of Johnny Gaudreau and Kirill Marchenko: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)
